When you walk into a wine store and start browsing through the various California, Washington, Spain and France sections, you likely wonder to yourself, "How much does a particular region matter when choosing a wine?" The easy answer is different grape varietals grow better in different places, so if you're fond of one varietal, you’re likely to eventually find a favorite region to buy it from.

One of the best parts about living and working in the wine industry in Argentina is being able to eat the wonderful food that goes with it. Malbec has been the star attraction of Argentina's wine country but many people don't know as much about the wonderful cuisine that they can find here. Our pairings go far beyond cheese, chocolate, and red meat - though red meat is certainly emphasized.

Ask anyone what they think of when they think Argentina, and most people will likely say the bustling capital Buenos Aires. Wine lovers, though, know Mendoza, a region with more than 1,000 wineries and one of the main attractions to wine tourists. What to see when you go there? Get some travel tips from Piattelli’s own winemaker, Valeria.

In Cafayate, Salta, Argentina, Piattelli has just completed the finishing touches on its new winery. Besides being a beautiful representation of Argentine architecture and a symbol of the company, the most unique part of the building is its gravity flow winery system. Check out how it works and what sets it apart from some of the more traditional wineries being built today.

The beginning of March marked the 77th annual Grape Harvest Festival in Mendoza, Argentina. Known as Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia, this is the biggest festival in the whole country and has been named the second-best harvest festival in the world by National Geographic. From Feb. 24 until March 5 this year, the festival took over our city while tens of thousands of people gathered to watch the crowning of the Queen of the Harvest, dance and musical performances, and of course, drink wine.

In the past 10 years Malbec has become one of the most popular wines in the United States and has been fueling the growth of Argentine wine in the international market. The explosion of our Malbec market has shot Argentina into fifth place among the world’s largest wine producers, and, with double-digit annual growth rates in imports, Argentina has become the third-largest wine import in the United States.